Kinderhook, NY

I am in Real Estate and I love my job. This is not the easiest of times to make a dollar, be productive at work or do all the things one is suppose to do when the phone is not ringing. I blogg, use facebook, search our MLS,go thru my potential buyers and sellers and try to match them up. I e-mail my $95,000 clients and my $2.6 million hopefuls. We are an agricultural community in the historic Hudson River Valley. We are a stop off for Martin Van Buren's State Home lookers and fall leaf peepers.. I am always proud to answer the phone and hear someone ask to see one of our listings. This morning I was so excited I had an opportunity to meet a potential cliet, I forgot to ask for his phone number.I also forgot to ask if he was working with another realator, looked at other property or made any offers on other property, signed with a buyers agent, was he preapproved or how soon was he looking to move. We talked about how great the smell of Autumn was in upstate New York and how big the pumpkins were already. How the tip of some of the trees had changed their leaf colors to red and orange. We talked about bringing his son of 16 months in a back pack and how I had three grandchild of my own. If he was late how upset would I be if his son sleep later than usual and how close was the second house. What school district were these houses in and was their a Farmers Market near on the weekends. How long was the commute to an Albany Hospital and was Internet hookup available. Maybe all the connecting with the voice on the other end was enough and I can ask the other questions after we have the first handshake or maybe I will just be using my $2.73 gas for nothing. Even if he doesn't show I know a great place for an ice cream cone on the way home and I can leave a few of my cards at the counter. I am in Real Estate and I love my job.

One of the best weekends in all the world is here. The Columbia County Fair. We went last night for awhile and ate and ate and ate. Steak sandwiches and fried dough. Lemonade and french fries with vinegar. Just great for your heart burn and acid reflux. We checked out the cows,and the sheep, chickens and rabbits and the huge Budweiser Beer horses were there. They had their name tags on their stalls and fans on each of them. It was pretty hot. The demolition cars were taken place and what a crowd, could hardly get to the grandstands. The rug hookers were basking in their rugs along with the knitters and other fabric lovers. Stop to have your blood pressure taken from the Columbia Memorial nurse at their booth. Lots of good information including "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." Sunday should be a funday with country and western star Craig Morgan doing two shows 2-8PM. The price of your ticket to get into the Fair includes his concert. Many fairs charge another $35.00 for their showstoppers. The grounds are landscapedand clean, plus everyone says the rest rooms are spotless. Good parking and not that much to get in. Just another reason to live in Columbia County. grab a pumpkin, apples, cider, or a pie on your way home from one of our many farm stands and savor our county a little longer.

This past two weeks have really been something with buyers and their agents. Have we as realtors and the publicity that we hear on radio and tv given buyers the wrong idea?

The thought process of buyers seem to be, that things are so bad, just go for a ride with an agent, find a house you like and buyer it. I DON'T THINK SO.

Three potential buyers have found homes they like that are my listings. They like the furniture, the patio set, the school district etc, etc, etc. Two and three showings later (two on fathers Day, my kids loved that) we are going to discuss an offer. BUT everyone now seems to have another financial picture called doom and gloom via the mortgage consultant. Now we have new car payments, unpaid credit card balances, un paid college loans, forgot to file the paidup loan on the swimming pool they used the house for as collateral (remains unpaid from 2004)

Now, oh my God! we need to work on this!!! And your agent didn't tell you that you need to have money for the closing. Taxes, Lawyer, escrow, title, insurance. What are buyers thinking????. Buyers need to sit down with several people and talk about stuff before they start looking and wasting time and energy. And the thought of having potentially three closings in the wings dashed on the rocks is down right tiring.

Find out your credit score.

Find your last three years income tax papers.

Collect your pay stubs for the last couple of months.

Talk with a mortgage consultant,a banker and your lawyer.

Don't buy a new car, or furniture, (and have your mother buy your $7,000 wedding dress) until after the closing.

Make an appointment with an agent and spill the beans. They may be able to tell you right from the get go that you can't afford to purchase a house at this time. Ask the agent if they belong to Active rain You'll be glad you did.

Good Luck buyers, The interest rates are low, the prices of homes are reasonable, the inventory is more than normal, but banks are tough, appraisals are hard to accept and although people are motivated sometimes they just can't go so low as you would like them to.

This morning I had off and tried to get some more yard work done. I ran up to Maple Lane Nursery to see about some top soil. I want to fill in a dip in the back yard and create a vegetable garden. I had not been there in quite awhile and now that son David has taken over what a wonderful surprise. Everything was so big and lush, watered, priced and with specific information about the plants. The varietys were plentiful and even some perennials. Huge hostas, $20.00 peony's, beautiful green grasses and lilac bushes. Saturday I'll have the dirt and plant my vegetable, but Monday I'm going back up and and get some plants. We have just down sized, where I had lots and lots of plants and complained about the garden work, but once a garden lover, always a garden lover so I guess Maple Lane Nursery just found a new customer, Nice job David the place looked BEAUTIFUL, just the way a nursery should. It is on Route 9 just above the Hannaford Circle.

On April 18 from 1-4 PM all the realtors will have OPEN HOUSES of their listing in the villiage of Kinderhook. Century 21, Purdential, Anderson, Kinderhook Group, and Columbia County Realestate will swing their listing doors open for the afternoon. Columbia County is really a nice place to live and the Village has so many opportunitys to have a wonderful life. We have almost 25 vendors registered for the Kinderhook Fair on June 5th and the FARMERS MARKET has two new vendors with Breads and Cheese. We are rasing money for the DOG PARK, plus the OK RUN and the LIBRARY BOOK SALE is June 12. We will start soon organizing the PEOPLES PARADE for the 4th of July. The Ghent Band will be in full force in the Bandstand and the runners will be off down the road on Wednesday nights. Come find a great place to live and enjoy life in Columbia County.